skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Sultan Nazrin with former Malaysian hockey greats.
Selva (left) with Dr Shamala (centre).
Sultan Nazrin with Dr Shamala.
KUALA LUMPUR: South Africa players will miss the chance of a lifetime to play in the 28th Edition of the Azlan Shah Cup, because their Hockey Association (SHA) had asked them to fork out 70 per cent of the flight expenses.
Many players naturally refused, and SHA pulled out their team a few days back.
This is strange because the 'almost free' tournament just received RM2.06 million in sponsorship yesterday, which was handed to the Sultan of Perak, Nazrin Shah, in a gala ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
The organisers are now banking on Poland to make it six again, as the other confirmed teams are hosts Malaysia, India, Japan, South Korea and Canada.
And if Poland do not confirm in two days time, it would be run as a five-team tournament.
Azlan Shah Cup organising secretary M. Selvakumaran said: "This is the only tournament in the world which caters for accommodation, food as well as internal transport to and fro Kuala Lumpur (airport) to Ipoh for invited teams. All the teams need to do is pay for their players and officials flight tickets and show up with playing gear."
But South Africa HA are no strangers to this, as they has also asked their players to fork out nearly RM3,000 each to play in the recent World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) deputy president Datuk Dr S. Shamala said: "This is one of the most prestigious Invitationals in the world which has stood the test of time and has seen the best in the world play and lift the trophy.
"It's a pity South Africa could not make it due to financial problems, and so we wait for Poland. And if the tournament becomes a five-team affair, we will let the FIH (International Hockey Federation) decide its format."
There are no plans to include a Malaysian B team if Poland does not answer the 11th hour call-up as the Cup will be held on March 23-30.
SOme of the sponsors are Astro RM400,000, Perak State Govermnent RM300,000, KL Teh Land and Development Sdn Bhd RM300,000, Lumut Maritime Terminal RM200,000 and many others.
Teams and officials are even provided with water, as Spritzer has pledged 20,000 bottles.
South Africa surely missed the freebee of their lives to expose their players by being an international scrooge.
KUALA LUMPUR: National chief coach Roeland Oltmans picked 28 players to train for the Azlan Sha Cup, and four of them were young legs.
Th tournament will be held in Ipoh on March 23-30, followed by the FIH Series Finals in Kuala Lumpur on April 26-May 4.
The four are Akhimullah Anuar Esook, Arif Syafie Ishak, Noor Firdaus Rosdi and Azrai Aizad Kamal.
Najmi Farizal Jazlan, who walked out of the team before the World Cup, was also included in the training squad which will head to Kuantan for a one week camp.
Oltmans has also roped in former penalty corner great Taeke Taekema and goalkeepers' coach Martin Drijver to train the players in Kuantan.
TRAINING SQUAD: S. Kumar (gk), Hairi Rahman (gk),
Hafizuddin Othaman (gk), Zaimi Mat Deris (gk), Sukri Mutalib, Razie Rahim, Syed Syafiq Cholan, Faiz Helmi Jali, Luqman Nul Shukran, Najmi Farizal Jazlan, Najib Abu Hassan, Amirol Aideed Arshad, Arif Syafie Ishak, Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, Meor Azuan Hassan, Ashran Hamsani, Joel Samuel van Huizen, Azrai Aizad Kamal, Haziq Samsul, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Firhan Ashari, Faizal Saari, Nik Aiman Rozemi, Norsyafiq Sumantri, Shahril Saabah, Akhimullah Anuar Esook, Noor Firdaus Rosdi.
KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Hockey Team dethroned Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 2-1 in a highly entertaining TNB Cup final at the Tun Razak yesterday.
UniKL, handicapped by the absence of their four foreign imports, fought gallantly and even had a penalty corner in the dying minutes to take the match into shoot-out, but Najmi Farizal Jazlan missed the post by inches.
Terengganu were powered to the title by their two South Korean imports, Jang Jong Hyun who scored his 22nd goal of the tournament in the 25th minute, while Jang Man Jae delivered in the 40th minute -- both off penalty corners.
National penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim gave UniKL hope with a 44th minute penalty corner, but they could not find the equalsier.
Terengganu received RM100,000 while UniKL RM60,000 and Tenaga Nasional RM40,000 for their efforts.
UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj saluted his charges who gave their all even though they were short of four of their best.
"My foreign imports were sorely missed in the final but the players who took over their positions fought gallantly and I am proud of their efforts," said Arul.
UniKL waited until the last minute for a release letter from the European Hockey Federation (EHF), to allow their players to ply their trade overseas until Feb 28, but it never came.
This ruling saw UniKL's best players Dutchmen Valentin Verga, Robert Kemperman and Martijn Havenga as well as Irish top goalkeeper David Harte who helped UniKL win their first League title in nine years, watch the final from the stands.
"I salute UniKL because even though they were short of players, they planned their game well and gave us a good fight. As for my players, they never gave up the fight and even though we finished third in the League, we clawed back and won the TNB Cup with pride intact," said Terengganu HT coach I. Vikneswaran.
In the bronze battle, Tenaga Nasional hammered Maybank 7-2 with goals from Firhan Ashaari (23rd, 45th), Aiman Nik Rozemi (34th), Amirul Hamizan Azahar (39th), Aiman Nik Rozemi (41st), Arif Syafie Ishak (46th) and Amirol Aideed Arshad (54th).
Maybank scored late off Hafiizhuddin Zaidi (57th) and Amirrullah Zainol (59th).
RESULTS: TNB Cup Final -- Terengganu Hockey Team 2 Universiti Kuala Lumpur 1.
Third-Fourth: Maybank 2 Tenaga Nasional 7.
KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) will be waiting for a miracle to appear in their inbox by today morning, ahead of their TNB Cup clash against Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Dutchmen Valentin Verga, Robert Kemperman and Martijn Havenga, as well as top Irish goalkeeper David Harte, who helped UniKL win their first League title in nine years, will only be around to help them to a double if the European Hockey Federation (EHF) bothers to reply their email request.
This is because the four are no longer available from March 1 onwards, as they have a contract to play in the European Hockey League (EHL) knock-out stage from April 17-22.
Even though there is ample time, the European Hockey Federation (EHF) has only allowed their players to ply their trade overseas until Feb 28 even though their tournament will only be held at a much later date.
UniKL wrote to the EHF some time ago but have yet to get any response.
"We are expecting a reply from the EHF by tomorrow (today) morning, and hopefully UniKL's appeal receives a positive response," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.
Terengganu HT coach I. Vikneswaran is the least bothered about the saga involving UniKL's foreign imports.
"I will only concentrate on my team, and plan for matters which are in my hands. The availability or inavailability of UniKL's foreign players is not in my hands, so I will not think about it at all.
"Penalty corners could decide the outcome, and that is in out hands to plan for," said Vikneswaran.
Terengganu HT have tournament top-scorer Jang Jung Hyun with 21 penalty corner goals, while UniKL's Razie Rahim has nailed 14 goals.
The team which gives away the least penalty corners will have the upper hand today.
SATURDAY: TNB Cup Final: Terengganu Hockey Team v Universiti Kuala Lumpur (Tun Razak, 5pm); Third-Fourth: Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (Tun Razak, 3pm).
By Jugjet Singh
jugjet@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: There will never be another triple international in Malaysian sports, like Daphne Boudville.
Yesterday, a book was unveiled on the athlete who died a month ago at the age of 77, and the whos-who of Malaysia's golden sports era attended the function at the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
In her heydays, she represented Malaysia in hockey, athletics and soccer.
Former National Sports Institure CEO Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, one of the invitees, said: "Yes, there will never be another triple, or even double international in Malaysia because times as well as priorities have changed over the years."
According to Ramlan, less competition, as well as less didtraction was the key those days.
"Competition was limited, and when an athlete excelled in one sport, she or he were also asked to play another and so they became double and triple internationals.
"Nowdays, the competition is very keen and even though we (NSI) encourage children to play all sports lke swimming, running and ball sports -- but they must specialise when they mature to become successful.
"Also, emphasis on studies as well as other entertainment and virtual games has made it much more difficult to excel in more than a sport at the international level," said Ramlan.
Daphne was the only Malaysian women to become a triple international, and it looks like the title will remain with her forever.
